Siddharth Gupta on how Britannia 50-50 is scripting its next innings

In the early 1990s, when India’s biscuit aisle was largely divided between sweet indulgence and savoury snacking, Britannia Industries introduced a product that refused to choose. Launched in 1993, 50-50 entered the market with a simple proposition: sweet and salty in the same bite. But beyond flavour, what made the brand memorable was its storytelling.

The early campaigns played on everyday dualities, mood swings, sibling rivalries, and playful contradictions, embedding the idea of ‘opposites coming together’ into pop culture. Over time, the brand built strong recall through its quirky tonality and the now-iconic ‘Nare Nana’ jingle, which became a mnemonic for a generation that grew up watching television as a shared family ritual.

As cricket became India’s most unifying cultural language, 50-50 gradually wove the sport into its narrative. The association deepened in the 2000s and 2010s, when the brand began using cricket not just as a media property but as a storytelling device, bringing in personalities like Ravi Shastri and associating with the RCB team for IPL. 

Three decades later, the challenge for Britannia is no longer about standing out in a cluttered biscuit category. It is about staying relevant in a snacking ecosystem where Gen Z consumers demand novelty, indulgence, and experience. 

Siddharth Gupta, VP - Marketing, Britannia, said, “There was a time when consumers primarily looked for taste in a snack. Today, taste is merely the baseline. What consumers—especially Gen Z—seek is a complete experience. They want varied textures, multiple bites, contrasting flavours, and novelty. They no longer want the same thing repeatedly; they want excitement and indulgence in every bite.”

This insight forms the backbone of the brand’s latest campaign and product launch, 50-50 Cheese Dipped Crunchy Layered Sandwich, supported by a cricket-led narrative featuring Rishabh Pant and Jemimah Rodrigues, along with a contemporary return of its iconic jingle.

Duality reimagined for a new generation

For Gupta, the evolution of 50-50’s storytelling has always been anchored in its core DNA of duality, even as the expression keeps changing.

“The 50-50 brand has always had a strong association with cricket. Over the years, we’ve looked at ways to contemporise that connection. In the past, we worked with Ravi Shastri because his personality brought a fresh tonality to the brand at the time.”

With the Cheese Dipped launch, the brand sought to turn the next page in that journey. The product itself provided the narrative cue, 50% crunchy and 50% melty shifting duality from flavour to format and sensory experience.

“We looked for cricketers who could embody these attributes. Rishabh brings a firebrand, entertaining, bold energy that aligns with the ‘karara’ side, while Jemimah reflects a softer, more approachable personality that aligns with the ‘melty’ side.”

The pairing also signals a cultural shift. Women’s cricket viewership in India has grown rapidly, with audiences expanding across younger demographics, according to the Broadcast Audience Research Council. By bringing men’s and women’s cricket together, the campaign mirrors the evolving nature of fandom while reinforcing the brand’s duality.

The return of the “Nare Nana” jingle is perhaps the campaign’s most recognisable cue. Yet, Gupta stresses that nostalgia was not the starting point.

“While nostalgia is important, we didn’t want to bring it back forcefully. It organically fit the film and served as a strong sign-off. It reinforces that this is a new-age 50-50 while celebrating its legacy.”

The jingle, he added, will only return when contextually relevant, reflecting a broader shift from asset-driven to insight-driven brand building.

The product has been priced at ₹50 to signal indulgence, alongside a ₹10 pack to drive mass trials. The dual pricing strategy reflects a broader FMCG playbook, balancing aspiration with scale in a price-sensitive market.

The rollout has begun in select states across modern trade and e-commerce, with a pan-India expansion expected over the next two months.

Beyond 50-50: Building a modern marketing layer

The Cheese Dipped campaign also reflects Britannia’s broader marketing transformation. Across brands, the company is layering technology, platforms, and immersive engagement to connect with Gen Z.

“Gen Z is a very important cohort for us. Today, most of our brands have a modern marketing layer, where propositions translate into immersive, tech-led consumer experiences.”

For 50-50, this includes the 5050Cricket platform with interactive formats like Fourth Umpire and Chief Selector, designed to deepen engagement beyond passive consumption.

Gupta notes that Britannia’s media strategy is no longer platform-first.

Instead of deploying a single creative across touchpoints, communication is customised for each medium, mainline, digital, influencer-led, and alternate formats, based on the audience and context. 

The next innings

For Britannia, the 50-50 relaunch is not just about a new product. It is about renewing a cultural contract with younger consumers while staying anchored in a timeless idea.

“Our focus will continue to be on contemporising our core, innovating with new flavours and formats, and leveraging technology to connect better with younger consumers.”

With the Cheese Dipped launch, Britannia Industries extends 50-50’s long-standing proposition of duality into a new format and a refreshed cricket-led narrative. The campaign brings together legacy assets and newer cultural cues, reflecting how the brand is evolving its storytelling while retaining its core identity.